'I chased intruder out in my underwear': Half of homeowners would confront burglars to protect valuables in their 'castle'

It is said an Englishman’s home is his castle and according to research from an insurance provider, it appears they are prepared to defend it like one.

Nearly half of homeowners claim they would confront a burglar in their home and four in five ‘nosey neighbours’ would investigate strange sounds coming from a house nearby, a survey by Policy Expert has found.

In order to defend families and valuables, 93 per cent of homeowners think it is justifiable to use force against unwelcome trespassers.

Home is my castle: The majority of Brits feel it is fair to use force if they catch a burglar in their home

The survey by the comparison website revealed that 12 per cent have suffered the effects of a robbery - and this usually caused by complacency over security.

One in three admit to having left doors unlocked when they leave the house, and six per cent count on luck, hiding keys somewhere subtle nearby.

But on the plus side, it seems community spirit is still strong, with 30 per cent keeping spare keys with a neighbour.

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Adam Powell, head of operations at Policy Expert, said: ‘Burglary is a subject that really raises the pulse of Brits.

'Every day we see the devastation that burglary can cause, and it’s even more crushing when complacency has been the main cause.

‘I ask homeowners to take the risk of intruders seriously, protect your home, and ensure you’re covered on all fronts.’

The most popular burglary deterrents, other than locking doors and windows, is keeping valuable out of sight, installing security lights outside and leaving lights on when out, according to the survey.

Some 27 per cent of respondents welcomed a family dog into the home to combat burglars, nine per cent a fake burglar alarm and three per cent install a ‘beware the dog,’ sign – even if they don’t have one.

It comes after research by Moneysupermarket earlier this year found the M21 postcode in Manchester had the most burglary claims per 1,000 homes in 2013, but the top 20 list was mainly dominated by London postcodes.

If you find yourself ion the nightmare situation of dealing with a home intruder, what can you do?

The Crown Prosecution Service guidance advises that: ‘Anyone can use reasonable force to protect themselves or others, or to carry out an arrest or to prevent crime. You are not expected to make fine judgements over the level of force you use in the heat of the moment.

‘As a general rule, the more extreme the circumstances and the fear felt, the more force you can lawfully use in self-defence.’ For more information, visit the CPS website.

WE WERE BURGLED - AND STUPIDLY DIDN'T HAVE INSURANCE

In the early hours of the morning, Tom
Karim, 24, and Emily Cambers, 25, fell victim to an invasive robbery in
their home in Islington, London.

As
they slept, an unwanted visitor crept around their flat pocketing
valuables, and at one point, even slipped into the bedroom to steal an
iPad.

Awoken by the intruder,
Tom instinctively chased the burglar down the stairs and out of the
house.

However, his defensive tactics were forced to come to a halt at
the front door due to him being just in his underwear.

The
young couple believe they were targeted as a result of broken security
lights, leaving their home more vulnerable to attacks.

To add insult to injury, Tom had yet to buy insurance for his property and its contents.

He
said: ‘To be honest, you don’t think about burglary until it happens to
you and by then it’s too late. When you see someone in your property
trying to take something that belongs to you, your instinct is to stop
them.

‘Considering I was only
wearing underwear, I thought it was probably best to end my chase at the
front door. In hindsight, we probably should have made sure the
security light was fixed and certainly should have had insurance, but you
live and learn.’